Electric Floor Heating Under Hardwood Floors - It is a Good Fit?

Electric floor heating is a good fit for naturally cold surfaces, including hardwood. Given the vast improvements in floor heating technology, it is a much better fit than when it was first introduced about 50 years ago. When making your decision about whether to include electric floor heating along with your wood floors, there are certain things that you will want to take into consideration.

The Natural Impact of Moisture on Hardwood Floors

One common characteristic of wood floors is the movement that occurs under certain conditions. Most often, this movement is a result of the moisture content in the flooring and occurs whether or not you have installed electric floor heating. Different levels of moisture will cause your wood floors to move in predictable ways. For instance, you might notice gaps between the boards and/or cracks in a board, known as checks, depending upon the moisture content. Generally speaking, this occurs when the moisture level is too low. High or uneven moisture, on the other hand, can result in warping or cupping of the boards. In most climates, because winter air is dryer than summer air, your hardwood floors will experience seasonal gapping between boards.

The more constant you are able to maintain the moisture level in your hardwood floors, the less likely you are to experience gapping, cracks, cupping, warping, or other issues that commonly occur with fluctuating moisture levels.

How Does Electric Floor Heating Affect a Hardwood Floor?

Temperature of the hardwood flooring affects the moisture content. Therefore, as the temperature increases, the moisture content decreases. While high temperatures do not harm wood, heating wood too much will cause it to shrink and therefore create gaps between the boards. Moisture returns when the temperature is lowered, which then causes the gaps to close up. Today’s floor heating technology allows for better control of the floor’s temperature and most homes are also better insulated. Consequently, excessive high temperatures which previously exacerbated expansion and contraction movement in hardwood flooring are no longer an issue.

Most wood manufacturers recommend that the heated hardwood floor temperature be maintained between 80 to 85 degrees (some of them recommend maintaining the floor’s temperature at or below 82 degrees Fahrenheit). With a WarmlyYours thermostat, you can control your floor’s temperature to comply with the manufacturer’s recommendation and still enjoy a warm, cozy and inviting room with hardwood floors that won’t experience any serious expansion/contraction.

Click here to return to our "Floor Heating Under Hardwood" page, or read a quick summary of findings from tests performed by wood manufacturers and by WarmlyYours.